Harris County needs zoning laws now! (Houston, Dallas: rental, credit, home)

[dv1033]

Originally Posted by Spade

I read an interesting discussion on another board regarding Houston and only Houston about this situation. It would be great if any of you would like to read it and then post your thoughts on the discussion in here. Due to respect of this board, I will not post the link in here. But I can discuss it with you in DM.

But it talks about the urbanity of Houston and zoning was brought up. The lack of infrastructure brought up is what is stopping Houston from maximizing it's full potential and I agree. When I visit some Houston neighborhoods, I see neighborhoods with no curbs, sidewalks, or drainage. These are pretty basic when it comes to building a community. This is as important as zoning, IMHO.

This is the way Houston was built because it was a sleepy Southern town added to the fact that it grew in the post world war 2 era which means, it was built around the car. Now, Houston is no longer that sleepy Southern town and is now becoming a cosmopolitan, urban, dense, and vibrant big city as it starts to look more like it's peers in the Midwest and Northeast compared to it's smaller peers in the Southeast. Zoning and infrastructure is needed IMO in Houston if it wants to improve.


The conversation started out from this link here in the Houston chronicle. Read those comments as well (even though most of the time, the Houston Chronicle's comments are comedy. They make good points in reponse to this article.)
Houston considers sweeping change in development | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Talking about skyscraper forum? I'm Texasplaya, what's your alter ego?

Originally Posted by Callo

I'm just glad there are some people out there that share my point of view. Sometimes it feels like I'm fighting a lost cause. After all, even if they adopted zoning laws now, it wouldn't do anything to get rid of the horrible apartments that have ruined the area.

I personally believe that we need to set ordinances in order to make sure adequate infrastructure is available to accommodate growth and different types of density. No zoning needed once we have the adequate infrastructure.

Look around, Houston doesn't have the same makeup socioeconomically as say Dallas, Phoenix, Atlanta, etc. and we don't have the same type industries as they do. I would wager that even with zoning we won't have the same type of development. To be put in bluntly, we got a lot of poor folks and poor folks need places to live and work too. How would zoning fix that? Stick all the poor folks in one area?

[Callo]

Well, yes actually. Zoning would do wonders in stopping the spread of the ghetto. Zoning is usually used to encourage development of low-income housing in specific areas designated for such. Compare that to Houston, where it's spread out all over the place. 29 apartment complexes have no place in a (once) primarily upper-middle-class area.

Also, I was criticized for this, but I really feel like Houston should merge with Harris County into one unit. That would eliminate a lot of the cumbersome BS unincorporated residents have to deal with, as well as give us a more powerful voice and save taxpayer money as well.

[Spade]

Originally Posted by dv1033

Talking about skyscraper forum? I'm Texasplaya, what's your alter ego?

I'm Texasboi but I want to change the name. I chose that name when I was 19. I think it's a very informative thread, do you agree?

BTW, callo, do you mean that Houston should annex everything in Harris county? Because I disagree with that. It's big enough as it is. Don't need to make it any bigger.

[texas7]

Unfortunately, it is what it is. And if they started now - it would be too little, too late. If you were born here, you watched it happen and if you moved here - well you knew it when you moved here because you saw it when you came to visit and just didn't realize that it would eventually catch up to wherever to chose to buy.

[blkgiraffe]

Originally Posted by Spade

I'm Texasboi but I want to change the name. I chose that name when I was 19. I think it's a very informative thread, do you agree?

BTW, callo, do you mean that Houston should annex everything in Harris county? Because I disagree with that. It's big enough as it is. Don't need to make it any bigger.

wow Spade, not only do we go at it on City data,but Skyscrapercity as well! lol

I'm Kingkurt17 or w.e on there. I ain't been on there though for about a year.

[kittyhawk]

Originally Posted by Callo

Now I'm not saying zoning would have prevented all of that. But the ridiculous apartment building would certainly not have happened. The problem I see with Houston is that it goes through these endless cycles of white flight. That just doesn't happen in Dallas. Sure, I'll admit south Dallas turned into a less than desireable place. But even older inner suburbs like Arlington, Irving, and Garland are still good places to live and raise a family. Can you say the same for similar areas of Houston?

I think you are overstating this to a certain degree. I know that my friends in Arlington have been complaining about their once nice area going "downhill" because of all the apartments and entry level housing in a close proximity. Irving is an aging suburb in it's own right and has some of the same problems. I think it happens in DFW but the process is just slower.

That said, I feel like the public schools in DFW are a lot more "stable" than Houston area schools. Most suburban schools in Houston eventually turn into havens for the economically disadvataged non-english speaking population. Most schools in the Cy-Fair and Katy districts are currently experiencing this shift and I think it's a trend that will continue.

[Big Dirty]

Originally Posted by dv1033

I'm going to repeat this again:
"It seems people either don't realize or don't take into account the very large blue collared workforce we have in Houston compared to many cities. Silicon Valley, Dallas, Atlanta all look very nice and have a large college-educated population compared to us because of the jobs they employ there. Yes Houston has the energy industry, healthcare and medicine, and aerospace (NASA) but we have a very large industrial/manufacturing/distribution employment sectors. In fact, Houston has more manufacturing jobs than LA and NYC. These blue collared jobs are going to affect the makeup and look of the city."

I'm going to add some more:

Houston has a larger than average illegal immigration population. Seems lots of people move here from places that don't have the amount of lower to lower middle income individuals and it's a shock.

However, I think some people need to get out more and explore Houston. To generalization Houston as completely ugly is saying you don't get out too much.

Montrose, River Oaks, Midtown, Uptown, Downtown, West U, and few other areas do have their charm. However, there are huge areas of ugliness. I live in a neighborhood comprised mostly of illegals and it is ugly here. Huge mounds of garbage, men urinating outside, public breastfeedings by obese women, crackhouses, and homeless people sure do contribute to an ugly atmosphere here.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by Big Dirty

Montrose, River Oaks, Midtown, Uptown, Downtown, West U, and few other areas do have their charm. However, there are huge areas of ugliness. I live in a neighborhood comprised mostly of illegals and it is ugly here. Huge mounds of garbage, men urinating outside, public breastfeedings by obese women, crackhouses, and homeless people sure do contribute to an ugly atmosphere here.

Then move.

[Big Dirty]

Originally Posted by jfre81

Then move.

My lease is up in August.

[Callo]

Let's not get into another one of those arguments that devolves into a shouting match. That doesn't solve anything.

One of the main reason the DFW area has much stabler schools is because they don't have the same out of control building that Houston has. Whether that's because of zoning, or long-term planning, I don't know. However, they are much better at taking into account the effects that low-income section 8 housing or large shopping centers will do to the overall community.

Think of it this way: when you make an investment, you protect it.